Conflicts of Sects, Cults and Religious Movements

Review of Sylvia Plaths Novel The Bell Jar

Review of Sylvia Plath's Novel 'The Bell Jar' Written in the early 1960s, and Sylvia Plaths only full-length prose work, The Bell Jar is an autobiographical novel that relates the childhood longings and descent into madness of Plaths alter-ego, Esther Greenwood. Plath was so concerned about the closeness of her novel to her life that she published it under a pseudonym, Victoria Lucas (just as in the novel Esther plans to publish a novel of her life under a different name). It only appeared under Plaths real name in 1966, three years after she committed suicide. Plot The story relates a year in the life of Esther Greenwood, who seems to have a rosy future in front of her. Having won a competition to guest edit a magazine, she travels to New York. She worries about the fact that she is still a virgin and her encounters with men in New York go badly awry. Esthers time in the city heralds the start of a mental breakdown as she slowly loses interest in all the hopes and dreams. Dropping out of college and staying listlessly at home, her parents decide that something is wrong and take her to a psychiatrist, who refers her to a unit that specializes in shock therapy. Esthers condition spirals even further downwards due to inhumane treatment in the hospital. She finally decides to commit suicide. Her attempt fails, and a rich older lady who was a fan of Esthers writing agrees to pay for treatment in a center that does not believe in shock therapy as a method for treating the ill. Esther slowly starts her road to recovery, but a friend she has made at the hospital isnt so lucky. Joan, a lesbian who had, unbeknownst to Esther, fallen in love with her, commits suicide after her release from the hospital. Esther decides to take control of her life and is once more determined to go to college. However, she knows that the dangerous illness that put her life at risk could strike again at any time. Themes Perhaps the single greatest achievement of Plaths novel is its outright commitment to truthfulness. Despite the fact that the novel has all the power and control of Plaths best poetry, it does not skew or transform her experiences in order to make her illness more or less dramatic. The Bell Jar takes the reader inside the experience of severe mental illness like very few books before or since. When Esther considers suicide, she looks into the mirror and manages to see herself as a completely separate person. She feels disconnected from the world and from herself. Plath refers to these feelings as being trapped inside the bell jar as a symbol for her feelings of alienation. The feeling becomes so strong at one point that she stops functioning, at one point she even refuses to bathe. The bell jar also steals away her happiness. Plath is very careful not to see her illness as the manifestation of outside events. If anything, her dissatisfaction with her life is a manifestation of her illness. Equally, the end of the novel does not pose any easy answers. Esther understands that she is not cured. In fact, she realizes that she might never be cured  and that she must always be vigilant against the danger that lies within her own mind. This danger befell Sylvia Plath, not very long after The Bell Jar was published. Plath committed suicide in her home in England. A Critical Study The prose which Plath uses in  The Bell Jar does not quite reach the poetic heights of her poetry, particularly her supreme collection Ariel, in which she investigates similar themes. However, this does not mean the novel is not without its own merits. Plath managed to instill a sense of powerful honesty and brevity of expression which anchors the novel to real life. When she chooses literary images to express her themes she cements these images in everyday life. For example, the book opens with an image of the Rosenbergs who were executed by electrocution, an image that is repeated when Esther receives electro-shock treatment. Really, The Bell Jar is a  stunning portrayal of a particular time in a persons life and a brave attempt by Sylvia Plath to face her own demons. The novel will be read for generations to come.

Are Nietzsche's criticisms of morality convincing Essay

Are Nietzsche's criticisms of morality convincing - Essay Example According to him they were a dominant class that he calls â€Å"masters† who created a moral code that the subordinates in the society had to follow (Danto, 1994). Master morality is the morality of the strong willed. To those who practice master morality, the basic principle is that what is good is helpful and that which is bad is harmful. In the ancient times, the value or otherwise of an action was determined by its consequences. This basically implies that morality does not exist per se but rather, there are only moral interpretations of situations and occurrences. According to Nietzsche, the essence of morality is nobility. For the strong willed in the society that which is good is noble and powerful while the bad is weak, timid and cowardly. For the Master morality, the defining factor is the idea of what is good and later the nature of bad is defined as that which is not good. In master morality, open mindedness courage and an accurate sense of self worth are attributes that are highly valued. Hence, masters are creators of morality and master morality is self-determinant (Hooker, 2000). Master morality embodies living life to the fullest a completely natural human functioning. It has little concern for the outside and as such, lives a life free from external restrictions. Masters affirm themselves from the onset and then enforce their morality to everyone below them. Essentially, masters are more concerned about that which their self deems right. The other issues that are nonrelated are considered secondary and insignificant. In a way, the masters define what they want and everything else that is not aligned to their perspective and beliefs is non consequential. The ideals of the society and other people do not affect their morality. In fact, the superior people are not afraid to express their will to power. They are determined to let their self serving morality be the one that the others follow. Master morality does not let the will of the herds to determine their lifestyle and moral direction. On the contrary, these superior people consider the values of other people to be of little or no significance and their sole objective is to advance their self interests. Those who follow master morality subscribe to their self defined rules and are not bound by the values of the society or institutions. Thus, it is imperative that the masters craft their own reality and morality. Nietzsche argues that those who follow the master morality are the ones who determine the development of human race to higher levels. Even from the historical background, men who have had the greatest impact in the history of mankind are the strong-willed. The timid and weak simply do not have the capacity to make things happen. Transformation and authority requires a higher degree of self worth and belief in order to convince the followers (Ridley, 1998). Suffice to say, Nietzsche paints those who follow master morality as stiff necked people with a high sense of self imposed supremacy. They do not have room for reason as they deem their ideas to be the most superior of all. The masters are close minded and they do not have room to change their set beliefs. He further argues that these superior people do not even belief that new knowledge can make them revise their previous positions. Morality for the masters is a personal issue rather than a communal beliefs system. This means that those who practice

Christian Thought, Greek Philosophical Thought, Hindu Tradition Research Paper

Christian Thought, Greek Philosophical Thought, Hindu Tradition - Research Paper Example Hence discovering new avenues of mythology and knowing peculiar but amazing facts about the believes of Hindus. On the morning of November 1st 2011, I packed my bags and was out for a trip to New York, probably the most busy and populated cities of USA. My trip mainly aimed at visiting the various Hindu temples in the city and jotting my experiences as this was my field work. I got a list of the Hindu temples as a part of my assignment that I had to cover. My first visit on 2nd November, 2011 was to the Ganesha Temple, located in 45-57 Bowne street, New York. It was small frame temple, was completed in the initial days of 1977. I then came to learn the deity worshipped was that of the elephant god, who is known as Ganesha. The idol of the deity is gorgeously dressed. As per the traditional Hindu belief, Lord Ganesha's blessings are indispensible for success in all mundane affairs. So Ganesha puja is supposed to be an essential part, before any Hindu religious activity. Customarily ca rried out be it a marriage or any other ritual. As per Hindu Mythology, Lord Ganesha is the first son of Lord Shiva and Universal Mother Goddess Parvati and is an embodiment of knowledge. As per traditional belief, Lord Ganesha was beheaded during the time of his birth, however instead of a human head his head was replaced by that of an elephant. Despite the fact that this is a mythological anecdote, what really amazes me is how the story is mingling with so many Hindus sentiments and how it has got a profound influence on the way of life of a devout Hindu.  The daily rituals of Pujas are performed with utmost sincerity and full devotion, both in the temple, and as also I came to learn, as a daily way of life of many Hindus here in New York, although they are miles away from their home country. In addition to the daily rituals, the weekend services are conducted by volunteer priests. Structurally, the temple follows the guidance laid down in the Hindu scriptures for temple buildin g, also known as the Agama Shastra in Sanskrit. Agama Shastra also provides a departure from the traditionally accepted ways of religious conduct and worship that has been laid down in the main body of Hindu scriptures of Vedas, Upanishads, Epics and Puranas. My next visit was to the Om Sai Mandir, located in the heart of the city at 45-11 Smart Street. c. The temple is open from early morning till late evening, and contains the idol Sri Sai Baba. All visitors were welcome to visit the temple and seek the Baba's blessings, whether they were devout followers of the Guru or not. Sai Baba is a real life figure, who preached his faith to his followers during historical times. This is in contrast to Lord Ganesha, whose originates from Hindu mythology. He was a spiritual saint, a fakir (beggar). His followers believe that he helped his contemporaries and disciples with his miracles. The Baba is a Hindu Guru, a mystic philanthropist as well as educator of religious virtues. In the religiou s teachings of the Baba, one witnesses a blend of Hindu and Muslim beliefs and ways of life. So, like the Sufi Movement, the preaching of the Baba heralds the confluence of both Hindus and Muslims religious thoughts. To my surprise this is the place one can say, this temple occupies a position of importance for people of both the faiths who live here in New York, be their origin in India or in other countries of the sub-continent like Bangladesh and Pakistan. Seeing the personalities and faiths of religious leaders

Your Privacy on Facebook Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Your Privacy on Facebook - Case Study Example He states that eighty five percent of the users agreed to the public use of Facebook. He goes and explains further, that the change in the world requirements motivated the change (Rainer, 2008). The new changes in Facebook privacy settings have made the use simpler as compared to the old settings. The reduction in the number of settings has made it easy and clear for the use to comprehend. One of the important features that Facebook has is that the user controls the privacy settings of the viewers of ones content. The feature allows one to define the contents depending on whether one wants the friends or the business audience to view certain content of information. With the new settings, the user will have to pay attention to the default settings making the one responsible for the posts. Previously, many users used the default settings, which did not require any customization (Rainer, 2008). The new settings intend to have the users produce additional private data to the public. The new settings tend to allow sharing information to everybody in the network. Despite encouraging people to set the advanced settings according to their wish, the default settings tend to remain operational. Facebook, pushes the users to use the "everyone" button to allow sharing of information worldwide. With this in place, it would undermine the privacy issues that Facebook began in the beginning. It would no longer have enough privacy for any data shared. In addition, users would find themselves sharing more than they intend to share. The "recommended " settings availed by Facebook mislead people as the users do not look into the features closely and examine the content (Rainer, 2008). Conveying information should not lead to violating someones privacy. Social sites have in possession private information that they have to protect. Sharing of private information is violating privacy laws. In as much as organisation that deals with sharing information have the right to

Forces in Skeletal Structure of the Arm

Forces in Skeletal Structure of the Arm Bio Mechanics and Kinetics Task 1. Produce a labelled diagram showing the forces involved on the skeletal structure of a human arm as a weight is being held at a particular angle. Your report should use the principle of moments to fully describe all of the forces that are being applied at various points along the forearm through the muscle and tendons. (Assessment criteria 1.1, 1.2, 1.3) Skeletal muscles consist of many parallel fibres wrapped in a flexible sheath along a bone, narrowing at both ends into tendons. Some of the muscles thin into two or three tendons which are known as â€Å"biceps† and â€Å"triceps†. Muscle fibres contract after receiving an electrical signal from the nerve ending attached to them; hence the muscles shorten and a pulling force is sensed by the two bones. Primarily, the main function of the muscles is to pull and not to push. As part of this task, I am going to demonstrate the forces involved on the skeletal structure of the human arm when a weight is being held at a particular angle. The image below shows a free-body diagram illustrating the forces exerted on the forearm bar. According to the Laws of Statics such as Newton’s Law, the net force on the immobile bar must be zero, and the total torque (which will be discussed later) is also zero. Figure 1 Hence the forces acting on the forearm are its weight (W), the weight of the hand (H), force from the bicep muscle (B, which pulls upward the forearm at an angle ÃŽ ±) and the force from the humerus bone (A). The muscular system within the arm generates linear force. Linear force refers to the force that acts in straight line between the origin and the insertion. However the linear force is manifested by the rotational moment which is generated at the joint centre. This is due to the geometrical relationship between the lines of action of the muscles and the joint centre. The maximum force a muscle is able to exert is equivalent to its cross-sectional area, i.e. the legs are capable of lifting heavier load due to having greater cross-sectional area compared to the arms. Therefore the estimated maximum force a muscle can apply is about 7106 dyn/cm2 = 7 x 105 Pa = 102lb/in2. The formula to calculate the moment of force is: For example, if an arm (weighing 7kg) lifts a load of 5kg by 1cm, what is the moment of force applied on the arm? Firstly I will need to find the force of both objects, by using this formula: Where acceleration is 9.8m/s (Earths gravitational field, since it is constant). The force of the object = 5kg X 9.8m/s = 49N The force of the arm = 7kg X 9.8m/s = 68.6N Therefore the moment of a force =49N X 0.01m = 0.49Nm The moment of force of 0.49Nm is applied on the arm. The various joints in the body are known as levers which causes rotations about a fulcrum (axis rotation). This is used to figure out the forces exerted by the muscles such as lifting loads and transfer movement from one point to another. For a lever, the force F required to balance a load of weight (W) is: Where d1 and d2 are the lengths of the lever arms (illustrated in figure 2) If d1 is 5cm and d2 is 35cm, find out the force required to balance the weight of 5kg. Using the above formula: Therefore, a force of 0.71Nm is required to balance the weight of 5kg on the arm. If the load is close to the fulcrum, the mechanical advantage is greater (d12); hence if it is far away then it is smaller (d2> d1). Therefore the mechanical advantage may increase or decrease depending on the distances from the fulcrum. We can also measure torque (any point of the fulcrum), which refers to the force applied over a distance (lever arm) that causes rotations of the fulcrum. The torque is dependent on three variables: amount of force, angle of application of force and the length of the moment arm/ R. As mentioned above in figure 1, the total torque is equal to zero;. The following formula is used to calculate Torque Ï„: Where F is the force (0.71Nm), R is the distance from the location force is applied to the joint (moment arm) (35cm) à Ã‚ ´ is the angle between the force and the radial line I will now find out the torque for the same question, if the angle is 20 °; This links in with the above statement of the total torque being equal to zero. I am now going to discuss about the elbow and the forces applied to it. There are many properties which can be used to calculate the forces of the biceps: the angle of the elbow; the length of the upper and lower arm bone; and the distance from the bone to the location the muscle is attached to. I will now use this formula to find out the force exerted by the biceps (equilibrium) in holding the object, which is the sum of the clockwise moments about any points, equals the sum of the anticlockwise moments about the same point: Taking 5cm from bone to the biceps attachment; The force exerted by the biceps holding the object is 891.8N. Similarly, we can also measure the tension of the bicep/arm holding the object. The image below shows an arm being held out and elevated from the shoulder by the deltoid muscle. The forces can be measured the taking the sum of the torques (of the shoulder joint, the tension (T) can be calculated: Where W1 is the weight of the arm, W 2 is the weight of the object Using the above question; if = 20; the weight of the arm (W1) is 68.6N and the weight of the object (W2) is 49N, then calculate T: = 113.96N Therefore the force needed to hold up the bicep/arm at 20, is 113.96N. Task 2. A) You must complete the energy changes/momentum worksheet. Assessment criteria 2.3,2.4 See attachments b) You must produce a report that describes the equations of motion needed to calculate the range and maximum height that a projectile thrown by a human can achieve. This report must include examples of both the range equation and maximum height equation. You could use a sports person throwing a ball as an example. A projectile is any object that has been thrown or shot by a human (measures projectile motion). Projectiles are affected by two factors: gravity (Horizontal motion) and air resistance (vertical motion which is the force of gravity pulling down the object). As part of this task I am going to carry out various calculations to find out the range and maximum height that a golf ball can achieve when a golf player hits the ball. A golfer hits a ball so that it moves off with a speed of 37m/s at an angle of 45. I am going to calculate how far the ball goes; the maximum height it will reach; and how long it takes for the ball to get there. Firstly, I am going to use the following formula to calculate how far the ball travels; Where R is the range/resultant (how far the ball goes), V0 is the initial velocity of the ball speed (37m/s) g is the gravity (9.8m/s) also can be used as (a) since it is constant à Ã‚ ´ is angle of the ball (45 °) Therefore; Hence, when a ball is hit with a speed of 37m/s at 45 °, the ball will go far as 139.7m. Secondly, I will calculate the maximum projectile height (how high a ball will go) by using the following method; Where Ymax is the maximum projectile height that the ball will go The maximum projectile height that a ball will reach is 34.9m. The final calculation that I am going to carry out is the flight time so that I can find out how long it takes for the ball to get there. I will use the following method; Where Tflight is the time flight of how long it takes for the ball to reach there. The flight time for the ball to get there is 5.3s. Using the same question, I now want to find out how far the ball travels horizontally from A to C and the time that the ball is in the air, ignoring any air resistance and taking g = 10ms-2. Firstly, I will calculate the time that the ball is in the air for, by using the following formula; I need to find out the vertical motion from A to B first = 90 ° 45 ° = 45 ° Formula; Where v is the final velocity (0 since it is moving horizontally), u is the initial velocity (37m/s x cos 45) is 26.16m/s a is the acceleration (10m/s) t is the time Therefore; , so the time it takes from A to C is twice this I will now look at the horizontal motion from A to C. Horizontal component of velocity. This is constant during motion. Horizontal distance = horizontal velocity X time of flight Therefore the horizontal distance the ball travels from A to C is 136.8m. Task 3. You must produce a report showing how the variation of blood pressure affects the human body. Your report must include calculations to determine pressure based on area or density values. Assessment criteria 3.1,3.2 Bernoulli’s Principles explains that flowing blood has different speeds and therefore different kinetic energies (KE) at different parts of the arteries. It determines the relationships between the pressure, density and velocity at every point in a fluid. Bernoulli’s Principle was discovered by a Swiss physicist called Daniel Bernoulli in 1738. He has demonstrated that as the velocity of fluid flow increases, its pressure decreases. Flowing blood has mass and velocity. The mean velocity squared (V2) is equal to the kinetic energy. The image below demonstrates the variance of kinetic energy at different parts of the vessels and also shows the theory of Bernoulli’s Principle: Therefore KE =  ½ mV2. As we know from above that blood flows inside arteries, were pressure is applied laterally against the walls of the vessel which is known as the potential or pressure energy (PE). The total energy (E) of the blood pressure within the artery is the sum of the kinetic and potential energies (presuming there are no gravitational effects): E = KE + PE(where KE ∠ V2)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã†â€™ Therefore,E ∠ V2 + PE Similarly, Bernoulli’s Principle states that the sum of the Pressure (P), the kinetic energy per unit volume (1/2 pv2), and the gravitational potential energy per unit volume (pgy) has the same value at all points along a streamline. The equation below shows this: There are two vital theories that follow from this relationship, which includes: Blood flow driven by the variation in total energy between two points. Normally, pressure is considered as the driving force for blood flow but in fact it is the total energy that moves flow between two areas (i.e. longitudinally along a blood vessel or across a heart valve). KE is relatively low in most of the cardiovascular system; hence PE difference is the energy that drives flow. Similarly, is KE is high then the total energy increases which explains the flow across the aortic valve during cardiac ejection. This is because, as KE drives blood across the valve at a very high velocity, it ensures that the total energy (E) in the blood crossing the valve is higher than the total energy of the blood more distal in the aorta. KE and PE can be converted to maintain the total energy unchanged, which is the basis of Bernoulli’s Principle. This principle is basically about the blood vessel that is suddenly narrowed then returned to its normal diameter. The velocity increases as the diameter decreases in narrowed region (stenosis). Blood flow (F) is the mean velocity (V) and the vessel cross-sectional area (A) is directly related to diameter (D) (or radius, r2); hence V ∠ 1/D2. If the diameter is reduced by half in the region of the stenosis, the velocity increases 4-fold, due to KE ∠ V2, hence KE increases 16-fold. The image below demonstrates this: The image above shows the total energy being conserved within the stenosis (E actually decreases because of resistance), then the 16-fold increase in KE will decrease in PE. Once past the narrowed segment, KE will go back to its pre-stenosis value as the post-stenosis diameter is the equal to the pre-stenosis diameter, hence flow is conserved. Due to the resistance of the stenosis and turbulence, the port stenosis PE and E will both fall. Therefore, blood flowing at greater velocities has greater ratio of KE to PE. As we know, blood pressure is the force of fluid against the walls of the arteries, similar to how water exerts the pressure inside aplastic pipe. It is made up of systolic and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the top figure and relates to when the heart is contracting (beating) and forcing blood through the arteries and transporting it to the rest of the body i.e. brain, kidneys etc. The normal values for systolic pressure is from 120-139mmHg. Diastolic pressure is the bottom figure and is linked to when the heart is relaxing. The normal value for diastolic pressure is between 80-89mmHg. Hence, if the values exceed these numbers, then it is considered to be hypertension. Hypertension is high blood pressure which is caused by the increased force of blood flowing through the arteries. Healthy arteries are flexible, strong and elastic. Inner lining of the arteries are smooth allowing the blood to flow freely, supplying important organs and tissues with adequate nutrients andoxygen. Hypertension can gradually lead to wide range of problems such as damaging the cell’s inner lining of the arteries; hence releasing a cascade of events that causes the artery wallsthick and stiff (called arteriosclerosis), or hardening of the arteries. Similarly, the fats from the diet enter the bloodstream and passes through the damaged cells. However, plaques are prone to building up in the arteries leading to atherosclerosis. These changes lead to blocking blood flow to the heart, kidneys, brain, arms and leg. Heart: it causes coronary artery disease, which is narrowing of the arteries that doesn’t allow blood to flow freely through the arteries. Leading to chest pain, heart attack (myocardial infarction)or irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias). Hypertension can also cause enlarged left heart as the pressure forces the heart to work harder than necessary. Similarly, overtime the strain on the heart leads to the heart muscles to weaken and work less effectively causing the heart to wear out and fail. Brain: hypertension can cause mini-strokes (Transient ischemic attack (TIA)), which a temporary disruption of blood supply to the brain caused by blood clot or atherosclerosis. Similarly, it can lead to the full-blown stroke which happens when part of the brain is deprived of oxygen and nutrients leading brain cells to die. Uncontrolled hypertension damages and weakens the brains blood vessels, causing to narrow, rupture or leak. Narrowing and blockage of the brains blood vessels can also lead to Dementia and mild cognitive impairment. Kidneys: filters excess fluid and waste from the blood via a process that depends on healthy blood vessels. Hypertension can damage both the blood vessels and leading to the kidneys. This leads to various kidney diseases, failure and scarring of the kidney. Eyes:- Blood vessels supplies blood to the eyes; hence high blood pressure can damage the blood vessel (retinopathy) Reference http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/conditions/high-blood-pressure/blood-pressure-research.aspx 22nd October 2013 http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/conditions/high-blood-pressure.aspx 22nd October 2013 http://www.webmd.boots.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/diastolic-systolic 24th October 2013 http://edition.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/high-blood-pressure/HI00062.html 24th October 2013 http://amazinghumanbody-prakash.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/skeletal-system.html 25th October 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/factfiles/armandshoulder/arm_and_hand.shtml 26th October 2013 http://www.cvphysiology.com/Hemodynamics/H012.htm 26th October 2013 http://www.bu.edu/gk12/kai/Lesson%206/BP_Back.pdf 27th October 2013 http://mysite.verizon.net/fvozzo/genphys/lecture.html 27th October 2013 http://muscle.ucsd.edu/musintro/ma.shtml 29th October 2013 http://www.as.wvu.edu/~rbrundage/chapter8b/sld015.htm 29th October 2013 http://www.answers.com/topic/projectile-motion 30th October 2013 http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/10/optimizing-a-basketball-shot/ 1st November 2013 http://demoweb.physics.ucla.edu/node/28 25th November 2013 http://www.medicalphysics.org/apps/medicalphysicsedit/WebPOTB.pdf 25th November 2013 http://physics.eou.edu/opensource/physics/projectile.pdf 27th November 2013 http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=14ved=0CG8QFjANurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wooster.edu%2F~%2Fmedia%2Ffiles%2Facademics%2Fresearch%2Fhhmi%2Fresources%2Flectures%2Fhuman-arm-goniometer.ashxei=bnakUuzDC6yg7AbX5oGYCQusg=AFQjCNFMTH1EmPzRvKvptZu4R7_XUpFKPwbvm=bv.57752919,d.ZGU 28TH November 2013 Dobson et al. (2002). ‘ Collin advanced – Physics’. Collins eduction : London Rounce, J.F and Lowe, T.L. (1992). ‘Calculations for A level Physic’. Second edition. Stanley Thornes: Britain Boutal et al. (2008). ‘AS-Level physics – exam board’. Coordination group publications CGP: Newcastle Tsokos, KA. (2008). ‘Physics for the IB Diploma’. Fifth edition. Cambridge university press: united kingdom Johnson et al. (2000). ‘Advanced physics for you’. Nelson Thornes: united kingdom

Narrative- Amazon Woman Essay examples -- Personal Narrative Writing

Narrative- Amazon Woman I need to recover a rhythm in my heart that moves my body first and my mind second, that allows my soul to catch up with me. I need to take a sacred pause, as if I were a sun-warmed rock in the center of a rushing river. I am crouching still near a tree on a loamy ridge, my two hands spread around the trunk. I am feeling grateful for this tree that I remember because of its mossy smell and thick crevassed bark. It tells me that the beaver pond is near where one white pine shoots 100 feet up out of the tannic water, which means I am close to camp and food and sleep. I get to the pond’s edge, across from the point where my tent sits. There are no trails and the boreal forest is thick with scrub pine and dead-fall. Early afternoon sun brings out the wave of deer flies; I shake my head so that my two braids might hit the little buggers in mid-air. Undeterred, one begins to chew on my shoulder blade and prickers dig into my shins. I can see my tent across the pond, 100 yards as the crow flies, probably a mile walk around the edge. I decide to take off my clothes, leave them on this rock by the shore, swim across and come back for my things later in my canoe. Even though the whine of the deer flies’ wings beating around my head intensifies, I just stare at the water. It is only two feet deep here at the edge, but it is so dark that I cannot see the bottom. Darker shapes appear as I stare, including a large fallen pine tree which leads from the shore and disappears into the darkness. A fear takes hold of me, as it does every time I conte mplate diving into this dark water. I shake my head to loosen its grip, feel a deer fly land on the small of my back and I dive. I swim as hard as I can, my heart bang... ...Today I am smiling wide and proud of this body that carried boat and gear down to the water’s edge; that paddled against the wind across the bay to the foot of the wetland stream. The body that hoisted the laden canoe over five beaver damns, that carried boat and canoe up the trail for a mile to the secret pond; that sleeps comfortably in a tent alone out here listening to the hoot owl, and the loons and the cacophony of bullfrog music; the body that jerks upright at midnight with the sound of a buck’s snort and heavy stomp of his hoof; the body that gets up early and bushwhacks to the top of the mountain. I lie down on the warm rock at the edge of the pond and I close my eyes. My breath feels easy and light, my belly is soft and where a hard gnarled knot used to be under my sternum, a warmth spreads beyond my skin, around the blue sky and sun and back in again.

Effect of Changes in Substrate Concentration on the Reaction Rate

Effect of changes in substrate concentration on the reaction rate of an enzyme IB biology Internal Assessment 3/23/12 Research Question: Effect of changes in substrate concentration amount on the reaction rate of an enzyme Introduction: In this experiment, the substrate is hydrogen peroxide. The purpose of this investigation is to find out the relationship between the substrate concentration and the rate of reaction. Substrates are molecules that are acted upon by enzymes. For instance, amylase, an enzyme found in saliva, helps break down complex starch molecules (substrates) into smaller sugar molecules (products).In other biochemical reactions, substrates require assistance of specific enzymes to form new products. When the amount of enzyme stays constant, the substrate concentration will determine the rate of reaction. However, when the number of substrate molecules exceeds the available number of enzyme, the rate of reaction will no longer increase, but stay constant. If there is a constant amount of enzyme, as the concentration of a substrate increased, the rate of reaction will increase as well. This is because of molecular collisions.If you have more reactant molecules, there are more to collide. Aim: The effect of hydrogen peroxide on the enzyme activity of catalase Hypothesis: When the amount of enzyme stays constant, the substrate concentration will determine the rate of reaction CONTROLLED VARIABLES| Units| Possible effect(s) on results| Amount of enzyme | 2. 8g| an extra drop of enzyme can alter the rate of reaction | Size and type of test tubes | 30ml| The size and type of test tubes were constant, because they can alter the pressure | | Units| Range|INDEPENDENT VARIABLE | Hydrogen Peroxide (Substrate) Concentration | ml| 5,10,15,20,25,30| DEPENDENDENT VARIABLE| Rate of Reaction | Seconds| 80 secs| VARIABLES: METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VARIABLES: CONTROLLED VARIABLES| Method for control:| 1. Amount of enzyme| All liver used were at a constant weight of 2. 8g | 2. Size of test tube | All test tubes were 30ml| METHOD FOR COLLECTING DATA: 1. Prepare a tube rack and place 6 30ml tubes in them. 2. Weigh liver at a constant 2. 8g. 3. Place the 6 pieces of liver into the test tubes. 4.Obtain 3% hydrogen peroxide and a graduated cylinder. 5. Pour 5ml into test tube 1, 10ml into test tube 2, 15ml into test tube, 20ml into test tube 4, 25 ml into test tube 5, 30ml into test tube 6 (but not at once one after the another) . 6. Once hydrogen is in the test tube start the stop watch to see how long it will take to react. 7. Repeat the action in no. 5 & 6, six times for each tube. 8. Observe what happens to the liver while reacting to the hydrogen peroxide. 9. Clear up the station and pour liver into a waste beaker. 0. Clean each of the test tubes out and put the materials away. The materials used in this experiment are: I. 50-ml graduated cylinder II. Fresh liver III. 6 test tubes (30 ml) IV. 3% Hydrogen peroxide V. Disposable Pipettes VI. Sto pwatch VII. Digital scale VIII. 50ml beaker IX. Test tube rack X. Plastic knife XI. Scissors QUALITATIVE DATA. The reaction started as soon as Catalase touched the surface of hydrogen peroxide. More concentrated hydrogen peroxide produced more oxygen bubbles and the reaction rate was faster.As more substrate was added the reaction was faster. Once the 5ml of hydrogen peroxide was put into the test tube with the liver, the reaction rate was slow. As the amount of hydrogen peroxide increased the reaction became faster. When putting the 15ml of peroxide into the test tube 3 during the first trial the reaction bubbles spilled into tube 4 affecting the result slightly, because it made it to start reacting before the 20ml of peroxide was put into test tube 4 . In test tube 6 during the first trial the liver was lifted from the surface about 2cm.The color for test tubes 1-5 during all the six trials was light brown, but for tube six the color was dark brown. BEFORE SUBSTRATE AFTER SUBSTRAT E RECORDING RAW DATA:PROCESSING RAW DATA: Amount of Solute concentration (ml)| Repeat| Reaction time (s)(+/-0. 5s)| 5| 1| 130| | 2| 129| | 3| 130| | 4| 132| | 5| 128| | 6| 123| 10| 1| 100| | 2| 110| | 3| 92| | 4| 98| | 5| 95| | 6| 101| 15| 1| 87| | 2| 87| | 3| 84| | 4| 88| | 5| 82| | 6| 84| 20| 1| 63| | 2| 70| | 3| 78| | 4| 71| | 5| 74| | 6| 75| 25| 1| 59| | 2| 58| | 3| 60| | 4| 60| | 5| 58| | 6| 59| 0| 1| 39| | 2| 42| | 3| 37| | 4| 41| | 5| 40| | 6| 38| Amount of Solute concentration (ml)| Repeat| Reaction time (s)(+/-0. 5s)| Mean (s)(+/-0. 5s)| 5| 1| 130| 128. 6| | 2| 129| | | 3| 130| | | 4| 132| | | 5| 128| | | 6| 123| | 10| 1| 100| 99. 3| | 2| 110| | | 3| 92| | | 4| 98| | | 5| 95| | | 6| 101| | 15| 1| 87| 85. 3| | 2| 87| | | 3| 84| | | 4| 88| | | 5| 82| | | 6| 84| | 20| 1| 63| 71. 8| | 2| 70| | | 3| 78| | | 4| 71| | | 5| 74| | | 6| 75| | 25| 1| 59| 59. 0| | 2| 58| | | 3| 60| | | 4| 60| | | 5| 58| | | 6| 59| | 30| 1| 39| 39. 5| | 2| 42| | 3| 37| | | 4| 41| | | 5| 40| | | 6| 38| | *Sample Calculation of mean: sum of reaction time for tube/# of trials 39+42+37+41+40+38=237 237/6= 39. 5 PRESENTING PROCESSED DATA CONCLUDING: My hypothesis was supported based on my data. The data suggests that as the hydrogen peroxide concentration increases the rate of reaction increased. It took less time for it to react according to figure 1. The general trend that was in this experiment was that the numbers for each amount of hydrogen were in the same range e. g. 15ml (87 87 84 88 82 84).My prediction was correct the more substrate was added the less time it used to react hence a faster reaction rate. There were no anomalous results. The data in this experiment suggests that the change in amount of substrate creates a faster reaction rate. EVALUATING PROCEDURES: Even though the experiment and the outcome of the experiment support my hypothesis; there are some weakness in this experiment that would have enabled a better outcome. The weaknesses that were present in the in the method of chosen for this investigation was the size of liver.The last weakness the arrangement in the steps taken. IMPROVING THE INVESTIGATION: To improve the results of this investigation is the size of liver should have been smaller, so that more reaction would have taken place and the color of the liver would have changed more for all of the tubes. Another improvement would be in the arrangement of steps taken. To avoid the spillover of the reaction bubbles into test tube 4, the amount of hydrogen peroxide should have been in the test tubes first then the liver should have been dropped in after.

The Odyssey Odysseus Journey Essays

The Odyssey Odysseus Journey Essays The Odyssey Odysseus Journey Paper The Odyssey Odysseus Journey Paper Essay Topic: The Odyssey The Odyssey In Homer’s The Odyssey, Great Odysseus, King of Ithaca, struggles to get home to his wife and kingship for over 20 years. During his absence, suitors try taking the throne of King Odysseus and stealing his wife, Penelope. Throughout his journey, Great Odysseus encounters Circe’s island, the island of Calypso, the island of Polyphemus, and Poseidon’s torture at sea, that slow down his journey getting home; but these moments show his heroism. The first island he encounters is home of the goddess, Circe. Odysseus and his men stop at this island in hope for direction to Ithaca. At this island Odysseus’s men are drugged and turn into pigs. Odysseus does not turn into a pig, because of a drug he obtained from Hermes. Circe sees that Odysseus does not turn into a pig and is shocked. Her excitement shows in (10. 362-366); â€Å"I’m wonderstruck- you drank my drugs, you’re not bewitched! Never has any other man withstood my potion, never, once it’s past his lips and he has drunk it down. † Circe respects Odysseus and invites him to sleep with her. Great Odysseus, being the suave man he is, accepts the invitation under the condition of his crewmembers to be turned back into humans. A year passes by and Odysseus’ men decide that it is time to leave Circe and continue on home. Odysseus has been Circe’s lover for that whole year. (10. 517-522), â€Å"But then, when the year was gone and the seasons wheeled by and the months waned the long days came round again, my loyal comrades took me aside and prodded, ‘Captain, this is madness! High time you thought of your own home at last, if it really is your fate to make it back alive and reach your well-built house and native land. † The son of Laertes can be the one to be blamed. He and his crew stayed on this island, because of Odysseus sleeping with the goddess. He does not think about going home right away. He does not use right judgment. Odysseus’ next moment is at Calypso’s island. Calypso is a lustrous goddess and like Circe, she is in love with Odysseus. Great Odysseus once again becomes the lover of this goddess as well. Hermes is sent to Calypso and demands her to let Odysseus leave this island. However, Calypso gets mad at Hermes, because Hermes tells her she can’t lie with a mortal like Odysseus, but the mortals can. Odysseus spends seven years with Calypso on her island. In Book 5, when Odysseus tells Calypso he is leaving soon, one can see that Calypso and Odysseus were lovers, (5. 248-251), â€Å" Even as he spoke the sun set and the darkness swept the earth. And now, withdrawing into cavern’s deep recesses, long in each other’s arms they lost themselves in love. â€Å" Great Odysseus, again is the person to blame for this moment. Sleeping with another goddess extends the journey once more. The last moment is a mixture. Odysseus takes longer to get home by stopping at multiple islands. He stays at different islands, but not for a long time. One of the important islands he stays at, is the island of Polyphemus, the one-eyed monster. The man of twists and turns escapes the island by stabbing Polyphemus in the eye. (9. 559-662) If any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so-say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca! † After leaving the island of Polyphemus, the crew battles Poseidon, who always tries to get rid of Odysseus or make him shipwreck most of the time. Poseidon plays a big part in Odysseus’ long journey. Because of Poseidon, Odysseus and his men had to stop at numerous places. The last place Odysseus visits is Scheria, the land of the Phaeacians. Odysseus is not to be seen as the blame of this event. He shows his hubris by stabbing the Cyclops in the eye in order to escape. The blame in this event is Polyphemus and Poseidon. Polyphemus keeps Odysseus and his crew captive. Poseidon slows Odysseus’ journey by torturing him at sea, by shipwrecking them and making them stop at an island. These examples of Odysseus’ journey show Odysseus’ heroism. Beginning with the battle at Troy, it takes Odysseus a total of 20 years of traveling to finally get home. Odysseus faces an army, gods, and goddesses, and still returns home. He stays alive in a war that has been lasting for 10 years. Great Odysseus is a hero from that war. After the war, Odysseus lives while dealing with the punishments of Poseidon and goddesses, such as Circe and Calypso. His heroism is clearly seen throw his brave actions such as: stabbing Calypso in the eye. The most important event of his heroism being shown is when he does return to Ithaca. This shows that he has overcame his ourney and took back what is his, like a real hero should do. The war Odysseus faces, the gods he’s overcome and the islands he’s gotten away from, is an act of heroism. At the island of Circe, Odysseus struggled to leave under the influence of a goddess. Lustrous Calypso is a goddess who is temptatious and deceiving to the eye, Odysseus shows his strength by getting away fr om the goddess and remembering whom he is completing this journey for. The Odyssey is a legendary story that displays a man completing a journey that readers admire as heroic and extraordinary.

Non Traditional Security Threats Facing Developing States Politics Essay Essays

Non Traditional Security Threats Facing Developing States Politics Essay Essays Non Traditional Security Threats Facing Developing States Politics Essay Essay Non Traditional Security Threats Facing Developing States Politics Essay Essay Since the terrorist onslaughts on September 11, 2001, non-traditional security ( NTS ) issues have become progressively common in about all parts of society, both domestically and internationally: in the policy and the research docket of authoritiess, in non-governmental organisations ( NGOs ) , in academic circles, every bit good as in the general populace and the media. Traditionally, security has been defined in geopolitical footings and confined to relationships among nation-states, covering with issues such disincentive, the balance of power, and military scheme. However, the traditional apprehension of security has progressively been questioned in footings of how security and non-security should be explained, and by what sort of attack.[ 1 ] In recent old ages, there have been an increasing figure of NTS menaces, nationally and internationally, originating from really different Fieldss such as fiscal convulsion, cyberspace hacking, drug-trafficking, ecological devolution and even SARS, all of which have neer earlier in the class of human history had such serious impact on any single state or international community. What makes it worse is that authoritiess and research bureaus do non cognize how to specify these menaces, allow entirely get by with them. Even in developing states such as China, and Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, for case, faculty members and authorities agency are both interested and puzzled by NTS issues, and they are get downing to set more natural and human resources into covering with them.[ 2 ]Yet, they find it really hard to prioritize in work outing or easing NTS menaces given so many different demands, and the comparatively limited resources that are readily available. Definition BY EXAMPLES In China, the NTS construct has been deriving grip as many of its influential elite are discoursing these new menaces to their national security. Yet, despite frequent mention to NTS and the development of a new security construct for China based on the demand to turn to such issues, there is no formal, agreed-upon definition. Alternatively of offering a definition, most offered illustrations. All mentioned energy, the environment, bird grippe and terrorist act as non-traditional issues that are of increasing concern. There are others who include drug trafficking, buccaneering and arms of mass devastation ( WMD ) . They commented that the differentiation between traditional and non-traditional menaces lay in the agencies for deciding them, and that military agencies can non decide non-traditional issues. A Chinese Army General recognised the trouble in specifying NTS and tried to offer some lucidity. He offered the undermentioned four earmarks for National trust: ( I ) they transcend national boundaries and are therefore multinational in nature ; ( two ) they go beyond the military domain ; ( three ) they frequently are sudden and unexpected ; and ( four ) they are often interwoven with traditional security menaces. He concluded that they are menaces that more than one state faces and can non be solved by one state or by a individual agency. For illustration, it is difficult to nail where and how an infective disease starts, or when a natural catastrophe or act of panic will happen. And possibly the most baleful facet of NTS is that they are likely to happen in concurrence with or move as triggers for other crises. HUMAN SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF MAJOR CRISES Asiatic Economic Crisis The Asiatic fiscal crisis started in 1997 and acutely affected four Southeast Asiatic states that include Indonesia and Malaysia. During the worst hebdomads of January 1998, the Indonesian rupiah fell by 80 per centum and the Malayan ringgit by 40 per centum. The depreciation of these currencies placed force per unit area on Singapore, the regional Centre, to follow suit. In footings of capital flow, more than USD30 billion fled from these states in 1997 and 1998. The World Bank described the crisis as the biggest reverse for poorness decrease in the part for several decennaries. The impact on unemployment was terrible. A survey by the International Labour Organisation ( ILO ) showed that between August 1997 and December 1998, unemployment in Indonesia rose from 4.3 million to 13.7 million, and in Malaysia from 224,000 unemployed in December 1997 to 405,000 in December 1998.[ 3 ] The crisis in Indonesia toppled the Suharto government and generated intra-regional strains, particularly apparent in dealingss between Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. The rise of Islamic political forces in Indonesia following the ruin of Suharto rekindled anxiousnesss in Singapore about the potentially harmful impact of instability in its neighbors. Singapore s leaders were worried that instability in Indonesia would hold spill-over effects. With the ruin of Suharto, a founding figure and cardinal ground tackle of Southeast Asiatic regionalism, the crisis besides cast an extra shadow over ASEAN s ( Association of Southeast Asian Nations ) hereafter. One of the major effects of the crisis was the focal point on societal and economic safety cyberspaces for the hapless. Human agonies from the crisis spurred the affected states to look once more at the province of their several societal safety cyberspaces and to reconfirm that they can so accomplish the ends for which they were formulated. Although the states managed the short-run societal branchings of the crisis more competently than was ab initio thought, reforms to formal societal security agreements remained indispensable if the aim was sustained economic growing. This was peculiarly outstanding in position of several societal factors typically built-in to economic growing and modernization.[ 4 ] On the other manus, though non straight effected with the economic crisis, China is in a critical occasion when two passages coincide 1 is the taking off of modernization, and the other is the passage from planned economic system to market economic system. Both are inundated with contradictions and extremely vulnerable to the eruption of struggles. The two passages being so intertwined farther enlarge the urban-countryside disparity, regional disparity, wealth disparity, and cultural disparity, which will arouse convulsion if treated unskilfully.[ 5 ]But the status internal to China that causes the most concern is the broad disparities that exist within its society between the rich and the hapless, urban and rural. The crisis took topographic point due to four chief factors: ( I ) the planetary economic system had caused an unprecedentedly big rush in private capital flows in the 1990s, particularly short-run flows due to most developing states low debt ratios, rapid growing and stable exchange rates ; ( two ) macroeconomic policies in most underdeveloped states took advantage of this roar to ease big influxs of short-run foreign currency-denominated capital, fuelling a domestic recognition roar and even more rapid growing ; ( three ) many states had liberalised their domestic fiscal sectors, but without sufficient ordinance, and domestic Bankss supplied inexpensive capital to already extremely leveraged corporations that took on easy available recognition ; and eventually ( four ) political relations, at first stable, introduced new hazards that culminated in of import alterations at exactly the clip when internal fiscal exposures were going worrisome. One of the major impacts of the crisis was the diminution of the province of societal safety cyberspaces where there was an disconnected and crisp autumn in life criterions due to unemployment, disablement and retirement. Another major impact, in Indonesia the crisis toppled the Suharto government and generated intra-regional strains. The rise of Islamic political forces following his ruin rekindled anxiousnesss in the part. In confronting those challenges, the affected states had reviewed several of their policies to reconstruct their credibleness. This was based on the determination that several policy spheres affect the net external liability place of a state and its leaning toward crises. Therefore, among the policies reviewed were several inter-related macro-economic policies foreign exchange militias, financial and pecuniary policy, exchange rate policy, and policy toward capital history.[ 6 ] The SARS Outbreak The following crisis confronting these developing states was the eruption of SARS ( terrible ague respiratory syndrome ) , an untypical signifier of pneumonia with a mortality rate of around 10 per centum that first appeared in Guangdong, China in November 2002. Within a short clip, the epidemic had a more terrible impact on the regional touristry and economic system than the September 11 onslaughts. There were a sum of 8,069 instances of disease and 775 deceases, of which 350 were from mainland China. Despite taking some action to command the epidemic, China did non advise the World Health Organisation ( WHO ) of the eruption until February 2003, when the disease had spread quickly, making nearby states and so to other states via international travelers. The Chinese governments had curbed coverage of the epidemic so as to continue face and public assurance. This deficiency of openness caused the state to take the incrimination for detaining the international attempt against the epid emic. The virulency of the symptoms and the infection of hospital staff alarmed planetary wellness governments fearful of another emergent pneumonia epidemic. Local transmittal of SARS took topographic point quickly within the part taking to over 1,200 people were under quarantine in Hong Kong, 977 in Singapore and 1,147 in Taiwan. The deliberate cost of SARS in the part was around USD 50 billion, and authorities and private analysts slashed their economic growing estimations for 2003 Singapore from 3.5 % to 2 % and Malaysia from 5 % to 4 % . In Singapore, functionaries said that with the SARS crisis, air travel reachings had dropped by half compared with the old twelvemonth to 62,500 in the first hebdomad of April 2003, and retail gross revenues dropped by about 50 per centum. As Singapore s Prime Minister observed, This crisis is non merely a crisis of SARS, it is besides a crisis of fear people fear catching SARS. [ 7 ] Among regional establishments, ASEAN led the manner in reacting to the SARS eruption. An ASEAN+3 Ministers of Health Special Meeting on SARS was held in Kuala Lumpur on April 26, 2003 followed on April 29 by an exigency Particular ASEAN-China ( including Hong Kong ) Leaders Meeting in Singapore. The meetings discussed regional mechanisms to observe and react rapidly to pandemics, including installing of surveillance systems. A common scheme to battle SARS was agreed upon, seting in topographic point a series of co-ordinated steps to maintain boundary lines unfastened while guaranting that the flagellum would be contained. Apart from pressing greater apprehension of the nature of the virus and its transmittal, they pledged to put up a web to portion information on SARS and have standardised wellness declaration cards and temperature cheques for air riders. Other steps included information-sharing on SARS, contact tracing and follow-up processs. A hotline was set up among the wellness curates and their senior functionaries to ease communicating in exigencies ; while their wellness governments were in changeless contact. They besides adopted an isolate and contain scheme to guarantee that those non affected by SARS were able to go swimmingly within the part. Decision Although there are other security issues in developing states, the above issues transcend national boundary lines in footings of their effects and their solutions require international cooperation, including many-sided cooperation. During the last decennaries, NTS particularly the assorted human security issues has become a cardinal concern to many states, establishments and societal histrions seeking for advanced ways and agencies of undertaking the many non-military menaces to peace and security. Indeed, human security underlines the complex links, frequently ignored or underestimated between disarming, human rights and development. Today, in an progressively globalised universe, the most harmful menaces to human security originate from the conditions that give rise to genocide, civil war, human rights misdemeanors, planetary epidemics and environmental debasement. Therefore, states could convene an international workshop to analyze the menace to national security and world posed by complex and unexpected NTS, the experience and policy model of provinces had faced such menaces, national capablenesss for human-centered action and the sharing of best patterns and resources.

Myths of death, after life & eschatology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Myths of death, after life & eschatology - Essay Example ‘Ngai’ is the name of the most High God in Kikuyu. This worship does not establish a connection with ancestral spirits. The Kikuyu have always believed in one God whom they have always regarded as creator and provider of all things, he who lives in the sky and temporal homes on earth and designated as mountains which serve as his resting place when he visits the Kikuyu people supposedly to lay his curse or confer his blessings to the people. (Mircea) Drawing from many African cultures, the Kikuyu believe in existence and life after death. Therefore when a person threatens to die, the community call upon the Ngai, and so it is believed widely among this community that it is only Ngai who decides whoever dies. At every occasion in kikuyu, including birth, marriage, initiation and death a prayer communication is established then between the victim and Ngai. Other studies have suggested that these four events in Kikuyu bear a lot of significance in Kikuyu culture, and as such during other normal happy times no such prayers are offered nor religious ceremonies conducted. Kikuyu believe in afterlife. Subsequently, it is also argued that the ancestors exist in the community’s descendants. Therefore it is a common cultural practice that children are then named after their grandparents, this assumes that once an someone has been named after an ancestor, then the ancestor exists with these people in their everyday activities, and also other consequences are experienced when naming of an ancestor has been forgotten and thus appears in manners that are not pleasantry. (Mircea) Mircea further says that besides believing in death, Kikuyus also believe in the existence of their ancestors, there are several cultural undertakings that they practice in order to appease the ancestors especially if ancestors have been ignored. In most occasions, they pour beer on the ground or food in attempts to appease the ancestors, practices that

Agree or disagree with Hawking's quotation Essay

Agree or disagree with Hawking's quotation - Essay Example While the importance of talking throughout the history of mankind in general and in the contemporary age in particular cannot be overemphasized, the author is too optimistic and unrealistic about the results talking can produce. Talking can or cannot be effective depending upon the context, participants, topic, and means of communication. For example, the governments of Pakistan and India have conducted dialogues with each other several times, but have never been able to end their differences, and the rift between the two neighbor countries continues, to some extent, even to date. Many wars in the history have reached an end as a result of dialogue between the concerned countries. There is yet a long list of world events in which the dialogues among different countries did not produce any meaningful results. Therefore, it cannot be established that no matter what problem is at hand, all that needs to be done is talking for that. If the author’s argument is supposed to be based on reality, then it is obvious that he is not talking about just any kind of talking. It would take a lot of effective talking to reach a point in time when the wildest hopes and thoughts could be materialized into reality. Effective talking can be defined as the kind of talking that occurs at the right place, in the right environment, at the right time, between the right people, and upon the right subject. But this is an ideal situation which requires a range of events to take place many of which are beyond the control of human beings. Talking is not everything. For example, the first hurdle in the way of developing such a technology is reaching a unanimous decision on its creation because such a technology is likely to harm the world in more ways than benefit it. If anybody could do whatever he/she wanted, then this world would be a mess. There are fair chances that if, ever, such a matter is discussed, there would be so many